An investigation by the Sahara Reporters has uncovered a house in Rockville, Maryland, United States, purchased by a former governor of Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, in 2016 for $1,347,200m — N522,713,600m (N388 per USD).
According to the investigative report, the residential building located at 10821 Symphony Park Drive, which attracts an annual tax of $18,198 — N7,060,824m –was purchased by Ajimobi during his second term in office as governor of the state in 2016.
The findings by SaharaReporters revealed that the purchase of the house in America is in gross violation of the code of conduct laws of Nigeria, which forbids serving public officials from operating bank accounts and purchasing property outside the country.
Sahara Reporters also gathered from sources at the Code of Conduct Bureau that the property was not listed among assets declared by the former Oyo governor until his tenure in office elapsed in 2019.
Checks with top real estate players in the US also indicated that the Maryland property of Ajimobi was now worth at least $1.6m — N620,800,000m.
The revelation comes days after Ajimobi died at the First Cardiology Hospital in Ikoyi, Lagos, as a result of Coronavirus complications.
Before his demise, the late former governor had been embroiled in a bitter feud with the Oyo State Government headed by Seyi Makinde over the revocation of 48 plots of land belonging to him.
According to the state government, the revocation became necessary after the property violated its land administration laws.
Unwilling to lose the choice property without putting up a brave fight, Ajimobi took the matter to court where it remained until he died last week.
